#121 Ravioli

I bought a package of Rising Moon Organics frozen ravioli from Whole Foods. I chose the artichoke and olive variation. Yummm! When we bit into them we both got a little nervous because they were so creamy! I had to run back at look at the packaging to check for the vegan symbol :) 

I used a jar of marinara for the sauce. I made the sauce fancy by sauteing some minced garlic in olive oil. When the garlic was lightly browned, I added cremini mushrooms. When the mushrooms were cooked I added fresh chopped tomato, sliced olives (green & kalamata) and the marinara sauce. 

This was tasty and easy!

#120 Eggplant Kibbeh

#119 Sushi and Tempura

Most of this meal comes from Chloe Coscarelli's cookbook, Chloe's Kitchen. Sean and I used her recipe for the Avocado-Shiitake Sushi and the Vegetable Tempura. 

I wanted to buy pre-made sushi rice. However, Whole Foods was out of stock!!! I was nervous about making my own sushi rice because I've heard it's really difficult and that sushi chefs can spend years learning how to perfect the sushi rice. I bought sushi rice and decided to give it a go. I followed Chef Chloe's directions for the sushi rice and it turned out perfect!! Yay!!!

Sean rolled all the sushi with a sushi mat. He's so good at it!! He also made a fresh veggie roll with carrot, cucumber and avocado. 

While Sean was assembling and rolling the sushi, I was dipping broccoli, yam, green bean and mushroom into the tempura batter and frying them. MMMM!!! I loved the broccoli tempura! I served this with a little soy sauce and a volcano sauce (vegenaise, sriracha and sesame oil).

This meal wouldn't have been possible without a little team work! Thanks Sean!!!!

#118 7-layer dip

I know I've posted this before but it's a little different this time...
I used the leftover black beans from Cuban night and pepper jack daiya. Big success on both fronts. The pepper jack doesn't seem to have that odd flavor that I find overpowering in daiya. Ryan and the kids had the leftovers for lunch today. I love that this dip is equally yummy served warm or cold!

#117 Taco Salad

Taco Salad is one of my dad's recipes. I'm always hesitant to make it because his is always so yummy :)

I took many pictures of it to show the process because I knew taking a picture of the tossed salad wouldn't do this dish justice.

The first step is to fill a bowl with chopped romaine. I topped it with chopped tomatoes, avocado, scallions and cilantro.

Next put Yves Meatless Ground and some warm kidney beans on top. I sprinkled Fritos around the sides.

I made a vegan Thousand Island dressing by mixing Vegenaise, relish and ketchup. I tossed the salad with the dressing and done! Yay!! It was super yummy!!

#116 Amped up frozen pizza

I was feeling super lazy so I grabbed a frozen pizza by Amy's. I added some fresh arugula, daiya cheese, and some vegan almond feta cheese. I was really surprised with how good it was! I'm going to start grabbing those when they're on sale. Yum!

#115 Alicia's Rustic Pasta

Look how cute Alicia and her husband are! I love that picture.

This is one of my favorite recipes from Alicia Silverstone's, The Kind Diet. I love me some pasta and this recipe doesn't disappoint. I remember I was pretty nervous about trying this recipe the first time I made it. Cabbage and soy sauce in a pasta dish just didn't make sense in my brain. But I braved it and was glad I did! Sean usually ends up putting a little extra marinara sauce on his.

I made some garlic bread (oops almost left them in the broiler to long! Yikes!!!) to serve on the side. This was the perfect dinner for a cold, drizzly night.

#114 Western Bacon Burger and Fries

I think this would be great with avocado, forget the cheese!

Tonight, Max wanted burgers.  He loves onion rings so I decided to make BBQ western bacon burgers like at Carl's Jr.  I ate waaay too many of these burgers when I was pregnant with Max.  yuck.  I didn't have BBQ sauce (which I was sure I did) and was not going back to the store.  So, I made a quick one and it was surprisingly good!  I mixed ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, dried onion flakes, and liquid smoke.  Radness!  I spread that on both sides of the bun, sprinkled on some fake bacon bits, added a couple of onion rings and a Gardein burger.  I wish I had some sort of cheese product to put on also but I didn't want tofutti slices or daiya which are the 2 options at Ralphs.  I bought yummy pickles instead!  Max cleaned his plate and had seconds.  Mia ate a whole burger and all of her fries!  That is a rarity for her so it must have been good!  Super fast and easy.

#113 Gyozas and Veggies Over Rice

This is a 100% Trader Joes dish. The brown rice is a quick cook variation. It is completely cooked in 15 minutes! Perfect for a night when you running behind. I steamed the gyozas while I was stir frying the bag of Asian Vegetable with Beijing Soy Sauce package. I thawed the sauce and drizzled it on top of everything. Mmmmm!

#112 A Cuban Feast!

#111 Sloppy Joe

I've bought this box of Sloppy Joe mix before. I get it at Whole Foods. I love how quick it cooks. I like my Sloppy Joe pretty plain. I just put a little mayo, mustard and some pickles.  I served it with a small baked potato with Earth Balance and sour cream. This all was done in about 20 min. Perfection!

#110 Chickpea Piccata with Caulipots

Another meal you've already seen from Lynzie. Apparently I'm incapable of an original thought. I forget how amazing this meal is. When I took a bite I said "damn this is good" although if I'm being honest, I actually said the F word instead of damn. Anyhow, the recipe calls for arugula but Ryan and the kids aren't too keen on it. I want them to get used to the flavor though so I use mainly spinach with a sprinkling of arugula. For mine I do a 50/50 ratio. We all devour the caulipots (mashed potatoes and cauliflower, duh) it really just tastes like mashed potatoes but with the added benefit of another veggie in the meal!
Hooray for Appetite for Reduction and the author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

#109 Beer Battered Tempeh Fish & Chips

Now I kinda want to dip everything in this batter and fry it. My house is going to be like the county fair! hahahaha!!!!

I love recipes that are easy to make. This was one of those recipes! I got this from one of my newer cookbooks, Spork-Fed. I have to say I really loved these "fish" sticks! It was fun cooking with beer- I've never done it before. I used a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The batter had a subtle kick because of the cayenne pepper. I was also happy to see that the recipe said to steam the tempeh before anything else. I think it's a necessary step that some cookbooks omit. It really gets rid of any bitterness and makes it delish. These were really filling. I could only eat 2. Sean said the tempeh was a little on the bland side. But when you dip it in the tartar sauce it really doesn't matter. Next time, I'll let them marinate a little longer before I dip them in the batter. Yumm! 

The cookbook also had a great looking recipe for tartar sauce. But I like to make my own. I like it heavy on the pickles with a little dill :)

I served these with some chips (aka steak fries from the frozen section) and malt vinegar.

Mmmmm!!!!!

#108 Rat-ta-tat-ouille Soup

Max would not be able to eat this soup if it wasn't pureed.
His brain would tell him to hate it when he saw all of the veggies.

Hide the ugly with breadsticks ;)

Aka Eggplant Garlic Soup. Lynz posted this not too long ago. It's been on my mind ever since! I adore this soup, I don't care if it's ugly! It's quick, delicious, and chock full of veggies. Max and Mia finished every last bit. I won't tell you what Mia said the soup looks like. Maybe you can guess?

I used the immersion blender.  I like that I don't have to clean my blender and that it maintains a bit of texture.  

#107 Manilow's Minestrone

From the Native Foods cookbook, I present you with Manilow's Minestrone! Named for the famous singer and Native Food's patron, Barry Manilow. I'm not sure if I've posted this already. Apologies if I have, but it's obviously delicious so you should make it too! It makes a large amount (I don't even have to double it!) and the leftovers are nice to have in the fridge to heat up for lunch throughout the week. You could also freeze individual portions to keep on hand for those busy week nights in the future. They say soup tastes better the next day and it's definitely true with this one! I especially love the fresh parsley so don't  skip it!

I keep the noodles separate so they don't absorb all of the broth and get mushy.
What a perfect container for my lunch!

#106 Sean's Gazpacho

Sean made this yummy gazpacho today for lunch. 

In a bowl he put: chopped cucumber, a fresh tomato, about a 1/4 cup of red onion, fresh corn right off the cob, 1 clove of garlic minced and a handful of dill chopped finely

Next, he poured V8 Hot and Spicy into the bowl with the veggies. He topped it off with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and olive oil. 

This was soooo yummy! Gazpacho is fun to make because you put practically anything in it!

#105 Steamed Artichoke

I've been on spring break all week, so I've been naughty when it comes to eating. This was for lunch. A giant steamed artichoke with a yummy garlic "butter" (Earth Balance) dip. I also made some saffron rice- but the artichoke was so giant that it was enough on its own. I barely touched my rice.

*Just as a side note...that bowl of butter sauce was for two people! Not just me ;)

#104 Veggie Potpie Stew with Sweet Potato Drop Biscuits

This is one of my favorite meals, ever. So comforting and cozy. Perfect for this cold, rainy weather! The recipes come from Appetite for Reduction so they're low fat and low calorie. The usual flaky, fattening pastry topping is replaced with tender, moist biscuits. I usually place the biscuit at the bottom of the bowl and ladle the stew on top. For picture taking purposes I stuck the biscuit on top tonight. Yum!

#103 Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant so much! I made the breaded eggplant using Lane Gold's recipe in Vegan Junk Food. She used the breaded eggplant as a pizza topping but I used it as a topping for spaghetti. I served it with a simple side salad. This was filing and scrumptious !

#102 Oasis Plate from Hugos

Okay, so I didn't make this, but I did eat it! I was out and about shopping in Sherman Oaks this afternoon. Since I was near Hugo's, I decided to treat myself to dinner. I started with a soy mocha, I order the Scharffen Berger Hot Chocolate made into a Mocha. It's incredible. I usually order off of the specials menu because there is always something interesting featured and it's easier than navigating through their enormous menu. This time it was the oasis plate. "This plate combines healthy and delicious. A bed of quinoa topped with a veggie patty, a side of leafy greens and an artichoke-red pepper medley, garnished with dill-marinated veggies. Bookended by a mound of French lentil pate with roasted jalapeno sauce and red pepper hummus with creamy harissa sauce. Served with grilled flatbread.". Yum! I have some leftovers that I'm really excited about snacking on later!

#101 Lotsa Veggie Lentil soup and salad

One of my favorite recipes from Appetite for Reduction. This soup is easy, comforting, and delicious! Everybody likes it. I also made a salad of romaine, cucumbers, tomato, avocado, and our favorite Black Creek ranch dressing from Native Foods. I feel healthier already!

#100! Breakfast Burritos

¡Buenas Dias!

I had extra burrito sized tortillas that I didn't want to go to waste. I made breakfast burritos! Mmmmm!

First I sautéed a small handful of onion. Then I added sliced Tofurkey breakfast sausage. When they were starting to brown, I crumbled extra firm tofu into the same pan. I sprinkled with taco seasoning, and continued to stir. When everything was nice and browned I added a 1/2 can of great northern beans and 1 chopped tomato. I stirred in the last 2 ingredients, lowered the heat to it's lowest setting and covered it.

While all this wonderfulness was happening on my stove top, I had 3 hash brown patties cooking in the oven.

I scooped the filling from the pan and put it into my tortilla. I sprinkled a little daiya cheddar on top. Then I laid a few strips of the hash brown on top. I spread a little bit of sour cream on top as well. I rolled it up and heated it a little on my skillet.

#99 ¡Burritos!

I love burritos! They are fun to eat and easy to make!

I put in: refried beans, Spanish rice, daiya cheddar, tomatoes, cilantro, avocado and lettuce. I added chopped red onion and jalapeno to Sean's. 

I rolled them up and lightly grilled them on my cast iron skillet. We ate these with a little sour cream and a cold beer. 

Buen Sabor!

#98 Pozole de Frijol and churros

http://herbivoracious.com/2008/11/vegetarian-pozole-de-frijol-quick-and-hearty-soup-with-hominy-and-pinto-beans-recipe.html

#97 Italian Rice and Beans

I got this recipe from another vegan blog, veganyumyum. Click here for the recipe.

This bowl has brown rice, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, cannellini beans, spinach and sausage. I completely follow the recipe. The only difference in mine is that I add Tofurkey Italian Sausage (it has sun dried tomatoes and bail in it! yummm!). It bulks it up enough to make it a good dinner.

#96 Lunchtime Sliders

Aren't these adorable?  They're yummy too!  Mini buns from Trader Joe's stuffed with gardein 7 grain crispy strips, sweet potato fries, lettuce, and tomato.  Paired with an ice cold beer, these hit the spot!

#95 Texas Cowboy Salad

This salad was sooo good! I layered romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and warm black beans and corn on the bottom. I heated Gardein's Pulled BBQ Shreds by putting the bag in boiling water for 6 minutes. I scooped some out of the bag and put it on top. I made frizzled onions and piled them in the middle. I finished it off with homemade chipotle ranch dressing to add a little heat. Mmmmm! I'm pretty sure all the Texas cowboys out there want to eat this.

The weather was perfect today!! We just had to eat outside :)

#94 Red Thai Tofu, Bhutanese Pineapple Rice, and Green Beans with Thai Basil

Mmmmmm I LOVE cilantro :)

All three of these recipes came from Appetite for Reduction.  The red thai tofu is incredible!  If you don't like bell pepper (Lynzie)  I think it would still be yummy without it.  The rice is amazing and full of flavor.  I used fresh pineapple in it and now I don't think I'll ever be able to used canned.  Maybe frozen...  The green beans with Thai Basil was my least favorite of the three.  I think it might have been because my lime was a little bit past it's prime.  It had a funky flavor.  I'll try it again someday.

Making all of these dishes for one meal was a lot of work.  I think the tofu and rice together with just some steamed green beans would be a nice meal.  Or the tofu paired with plain brown rice and a vegetable would work great too.

#93 Olives and Angel Hair Pasta

I love how quick angel hair pasta cooks. 4 minutes...Done! I made the sauce with a shallot, kalamata and green olives, capers and a can of Italian stewed diced tomatoes. I started by browning the diced shallot in olive oil. Then I poured in the can of tomatoes, olives and capers. I gently stirred in the pasta until it was all mixed.

I served it with blanched asparagus and garlic bread. We were both starving tonight. I was super stoked that I was able to get this done in under 30 min.

#92 BBQ Chix pizza

This was amazing. I was wandering the grocery store tonight, wondering what to make for dinner. I really wanted a salad from Chipotle. Luckily it was my night to blog and I threw together a delicious pizza!

From Ralph's I grabbed garlic focaccia bread, gardein's sweet and tangy BBQ wings, cilantro, and daiya mozzarella. At home I had BBQ sauce, frozen corn, and a red onion. I cooked up the wings while preparing the other ingredients. Baked it at 350 for 8 minutes then broiled it until the cheese melted. I'd use a little less BBQ sauce next time but it was still fantastic. Yippee!